Are your friends talking about going to the gym or getting on a diet to get their “summer bodies” ready? They probably mean this innocently, but the stereotypically thin, tanned, and model-like figures aren’t realistic for the vast majority of people, including most frequent gym-goers.
However, the harm of the concept of “summer bodies” extends further than its impracticality. Here are reasons to stop caring about getting a “summer body” and to invest in things that actually promote your health instead.
1. It Promotes Unhealthy Diet and Exercise Habits
The quest for a summer body often leads to extreme dieting and exercise routines that are far from sustainable. Such practices can set unrealistic expectations, pushing people into cycles of restrictive eating and excessive workouts. These habits are not only hard to maintain but can also predispose individuals to nutritional deficiencies and injuries.
Instead, focus on cultivating a healthy relationship with food that nourishes your body and makes you feel healthy and satisfied. Likewise, work out frequently, but don’t go when you know it would be bad for you—mentally or physically. If you do these things, you’ll have a healthy body, and that is all a summer body should be.
2. It Harms Your Mental Health
Obsessing over achieving a particular body type can take a significant toll on your mental health. It feeds into a comparison culture that magnifies insecurities and fosters dissatisfaction with your own body.
There are so many reasons to embrace your body image, whatever it is, and feeling more confident is just one of them. You shouldn’t obsess over a flat stomach, thigh gap, and tan—instead, obsess over yourself and all the ways your body is unique and supports you.
3. It Puts a Downer on Summer
The fixation on attaining a summer body can ironically spoil the joy and spontaneity that the summertime embodies. Instead of relishing the warm weather, outdoor activities, and social gatherings, you waste too much energy worrying about how you look in your swimwear.
Life is too short to not enjoy every sun-kissed moment of this vibrant season. Society might have you believe that you must look a certain way to wear certain clothes, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. For example, you should feel confident and comfy in shorts and other more revealing summer clothing without changing your body. By embracing your body just as it is, you’ll have a better summer than anyone who works to get the “perfect” body will.
4. It Undermines the Values of Health and Fitness
By focusing solely on aesthetic goals for a season, the concept of a “summer body” overshadows the true essence of health and fitness. Fitness should be about feeling strong, energized, and alive throughout the year, not just looking a certain way for the summer.
Furthermore, adopting a year-round approach to wellness encourages habits that are more likely to stick and benefit you in the long term.
It’s time to shift the focus from conforming to seasonal aesthetics to nurturing our bodies and minds for holistic health and happiness.
With so many reasons to stop caring about getting a “summer body,” there’s no time like the present to cherish your body for the incredible things it allows you to experience. Your body is your lifelong companion—treat it with love, respect, and kindness.
